11 ms·

I think there's a very good reason we're sandboxed from a lot of that - it's additional cognitive load that 99% of the time just creates noise. We're built for

I think there's a very good reason we're sandboxed from a lot of that - it's additional cognitive load that 99% of the time just creates noise. We're built for processing that much data by walling most of it off and letting sub processes deal with it all over the place. It would probably grind us to a halt.

Nevermark 4y ago
Being able to access information doesn't mean having to access that information. We already have a means of limiting our cognitive load relative to the vast stream of sensory and internal information: focus.
- PaulDavisThe1st 4y ago
  Focus is a very high level feature. You have thousands of sensors receiving information at very high rates, ALL the time. Whether you are focused or not, you never have any direct awareness of their individual signalling.
  - Nevermark 4y ago
    Yes, focus is a high level feature that allows us to have access to more information than we can process deeply at any given time, without being overwhelmed by it. We can narrow our focus, yet still have the benefit of all that information being processed by process parallel to our focus - ready to interrupt our focus if something is surprising, important, painful or pleasurable. And of course, its all there ready for us when we change focus. So having more information available is just that, having more information available. We can still focus and unfocus.
    - PaulDavisThe1st 4y ago
      No, this is not at all what I meant. Your conscious mind does not have access to the low level sensory machinery. Even if you focus, you will only be aware of a "high level summary" of what your sensory equipment is measuring. It's similar to the way in which your brain is filled with billions of little analog add units, but you have no direct access to them - you do arithmetic with higher level components and structures in the brain.

Nevermark 4y ago

Being able to access information doesn't mean having to access that information. We already have a means of limiting our cognitive load relative to the vast stream of sensory and internal information: focus.

PaulDavisThe1st 4y ago
Focus is a very high level feature. You have thousands of sensors receiving information at very high rates, ALL the time. Whether you are focused or not, you never have any direct awareness of their individual signalling.
- Nevermark 4y ago
  Yes, focus is a high level feature that allows us to have access to more information than we can process deeply at any given time, without being overwhelmed by it. We can narrow our focus, yet still have the benefit of all that information being processed by process parallel to our focus - ready to interrupt our focus if something is surprising, important, painful or pleasurable. And of course, its all there ready for us when we change focus. So having more information available is just that, having more information available. We can still focus and unfocus.
  - PaulDavisThe1st 4y ago
    No, this is not at all what I meant. Your conscious mind does not have access to the low level sensory machinery. Even if you focus, you will only be aware of a "high level summary" of what your sensory equipment is measuring. It's similar to the way in which your brain is filled with billions of little analog add units, but you have no direct access to them - you do arithmetic with higher level components and structures in the brain.